OOTD 3.7.2016

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I’ve been so excited to share this outfit all week. Yes, all week, because it’s been one of those weeks. I thought I’d post Tuesday, or Wednesday, or…you get the idea.

I said last week I was ready to pull out my Spring wardrobe, and I wasn’t messing around. One of my favorite bloggers/Instagrammers, Sara Matthews (check out her blog, Lilly and  Leopard!), has been posting adorable outfits with this blazer for as long as I’ve been following her, and I’ve been drooling over this blazer for just as long. I’ve been working on adding more blazers to my wardrobe, but the issue is those things can be pricey. Not this striped beauty from Old Navy though. It’s already super affordable, and I was able to snag it for an extra 30% off a couple weekends ago, making it a perfect Spring steal. I knew a Monday meeting day would be the perfect debut, and I couldn’t wait to wear it. I also can’t wait to wear it again, so expect to see (a lot) more of this one. (PS, the reviews are right, go down a size from what you’d normally wear.)

When I went to pull out some of my Spring dresses, I knew exactly the dress I wanted to pair with my blazer. This coral scalloped shift from J.Crew Factory has been a favorite since I got it last Spring. So much so, it was my Easter dress and I wore it for our engagement pictures. It’s a perfect shift for wearing to work, and for just about everything else you may need a dress.Easter 2015Engagement Portraits -93 copy

After a crazy week, I was elated to hear my husband say his thoughts on dinner Friday night were to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Chile Verde. It’s actually owned by my sister’s fiancé’s family, and is some of the best Mexican food you’ll find in Indianapolis. They even let me customize my favorite enchiladas to be shrimp instead of chicken since it was a Friday during Lent. Chile Verde has become a staple in my family – and I mean my whole, extended family. They don’t mind when we need to make a reservation for an intimate family dinner for 20+ (I have a big family), and they’re amazing when we want to get carryout catering. Full disclosure: I skipped my scheduled workout for this:

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Don’t worry, I still did all of my other training this week, and have 5 miles to put in today. Sometimes, you just need some beer and queso.

If you look closely, there’s also a tiny peak of my first wear of one of my dresses from the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale in January. Who else is ready for Spring dresses?

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Pudding Poke Cake

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Everyone needs at least one easy, crowd-pleasing dessert in their arsenal that can whipped up in no time. I made this cake a few weeks back when my husband’s brother was coming over for dinner. It wasn’t anything fancy – a low key dinner and sweatpants – but I’m not one to need an occasion to make dessert. I always send him home with plenty of leftovers, and after sharing this cake with a friend of ours, he was told to pass on the message that I “can definitely make that again.” My brother-in-law specifically requested this cake  for a birthday dinner for my in-laws this weekend. Like I said, it’s crowd-pleasing. 
I also mean it when I say you can whip this up in no time. How quickly, you ask? Well, imagine you return from your half-marathon training at 3 p.m., and your husband informs you that he told his brother we’d be there at 4:30 to help make dinner. Oh, and for whatever reason, every grocery store you’d been to had been out of the gluten-free chocolate cake mix, so it still needed to be located and purchased. Sigh. 

Luckily, said husband went to one more grocery store, procured the cake mix, and took care of at least getting it in the oven while I hopped in the shower. But to tell the truth, following the directions on the box of cake mix is the “hardest” part of the recipe. It really is that easy.

Note: This version is gluten-free; however, you can make this with any cake mix/pudding combo your heart desires.  

 

You’ll need: 

  • 1 box of cake mix and the required ingredients (eggs, butter/oil, etc.)
  • 2 3.4 oz boxes of instant pudding
  • 4 cups of milk

Optional and amazing (but not pictured) additions:

  • 1 tub whipped topping
  • Crushed Oreos (in this case, gluten-free Joe-Joes from Trader Joe’s)

Preheat your oven and prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box. If you’re familiar with GF cake mixes, you’ll know that the box of mix is smaller, and this particular mix does not offer directions for a 13 x 9 inch pan. Use one anyway. Mine is ready to come out after 30 minutes, and the thinner, denser layer becomes almost fudge-like when you add the next layers. 

About 2 minutes (or slightly less) before your timer goes off, mix your pudding mix and milk. You don’t want it to have time to set up all the way, and it needs to stay a bit liquidy for the next steps. 

As soon as your cake come out of the oven, use the non-eating end of whatever kitchen utensil  you have (I used the end of a cheese knife) to poke holes all over the cake about an inch apart. This is where the pudding will fall in, so make sure they’re big enough to let the pudding fill.

Once you’ve finished poking the holes, pour the pudding over the warm cake. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the pudding layer and press the pudding into the holes a bit. 

Then, just pop the cake in the fridge for about 1 hour to let everything set up and meld together. (We obviously did not have that full hour this time, but I finished the next steps at my brother-in-law’s. For the record, we were there by 4:40.)

After the pudding has set, you can leave it as is, but I like to add a layer of whipped cream and crushed Oreos. I’ve also just added the crushed Oreos right on top of the pudding. Because why not?

 
It was delicious, super simple, and a hit, as usual. Gotta love those recipes you can keep in your back pocket for a quick fix! 

Why gluten free? My mother-in-law and brother-in-law both have Celiac. My husband and I lived with my brother-in-law for a few years before we bought our house last summer, and many times, it just didn’t make sense to make a meal we couldn’t all share together. Plus, I couldn’t make a birthday cake the birthday girl couldn’t eat! Every recipe posted to Real Life Sparkle (thus far) has also been made gluten free more than once, and is equally delicious either way. Feel free to ask me about the swaps to make it work! 

  

Wonky Posts

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Apologies for those of you who subscribe and have now received two errant emails of incomplete posts with links going nowhere. I tend to start posts on my phone and finish from my iPad or computer, and my WordPress app has been posting before I’m ready. 

I’ll get the kinks worked out, and the actual post and recipe for the amazing Pudding Poke Cake is coming tomorrow, I promise! 

  

OOTD 3.4.2016

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Oh Friday, I felt so ready for you this week. We may not have casual Friday at my office, but I was definitely feeling an easy look and a little springtime mint green. 

I’ve had this Portofino shirt from Express since they introduced the line a couple years back. It’s light and filmy, so it’s always easy to wear by itself or as a layering piece, making it perfect for transitional weather. I also love that I can wear it long-sleeved or use the button tabs for half-sleeves. See what I mean? Transitional. (Note: It’s also light enough that a cami is necessary underneath. These seamless camis from The Limited are my favorite base layer.) 

Once I discovered skinny black pants, it made the fact that I’m in a no jeans office much easier for the days you’re tired of standard office wear. These black pants from J.Crew are admittedly right on the edge, but can still be considered similar to a skinny chino. Just know your office dress code, tread lightly, and err on the dressier side with what you wear them with. I won’t tell if you won’t. 

Now, let me tell you about my shoes. Years of working retail makes it pretty much impossible for me to pay full price for things – you reallllllly get used to that employee discount applying to most of your wardrobe. So even though I’ve lusted over these shoes for ages, they were never quite on sale enough, and I sure couldn’t bring myself to pay full price. Luckily, when J.Crew Factory is your favorite store, you eventually earn rewards. When you’re really lucky, those rewards are timed with the shoes you’ve been lusting after being 40% off. When I can pay the same price for J.Crew Factory shoes as I could for shoes from Target, those things are mine.

I swear I don’t wear my favorite Kendra Scott earrings every single day, they just happen to always match my favorite outfits. My white pearl Danielle earrings were the first piece of KS jewelry I bought, and I chose them specifically because they’re just the right about of bold, while still being goes-with-everything classic. 

I do wear my monogram all the time, but I love it and I’m not ashamed. I love the Reese Witherspoon words to live by: If it isn’t moving, monogram it. 

I told my husband that this weekend is the weekend I pull out all my spring stuff. I’m ready for the built in wardrobe refresh, and visions of warmer weather are dancing in my head. What are you looking forward to most for the warmer days? 

  

OOTD 2.29.2016: Fitness Edition 

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As I’ve continued my training for the Mini Marathon, one thing I learned pretty quickly (other than the limits of my asthmatic lungs) is that there’s a good reason all of that fancy workout gear exists. In college, random tshirts and leggings leftover from dance classes and show choir rehearsals were just fine for the half-hearted time I occasionally logged on the elliptical at the gym. My workouts after college got a bit more serious with regular Zumba classes and ballet barre method Pilates, but even then a loose tank, sports bra, and some leggings were all I really needed. Last week on the treadmill, I realized my (drenched) concert tshirt and few remaining pairs of athletic leggings just weren’t going to cut it anymore.

Though I’d love to just go nuts in Lululemon, that’s not exactly in the budget right now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely earning a Lululemon treat with all this training (I’ve got my eye on some things…), but for now, I needed to restart my workout wardrobe with a much lower price tag.


 After my miles on Saturday, I decided to swing into Old Navy on whim to check out their activewear selection, and I was not disappointed. I might actually be a little obsessed. The whole store was 40% off for the day, so this pretty blue seamless long-sleeve and my striped compression capris were an absolute steal! All of the moisture-wicking, breathable goodness for what ended up being about a quarter of the price of all of the various brands I’d been looking at for gear. If you haven’t checked out Old Navy Active for your workout clothes, you definitely need to!

As a training update, it’s going. This whole asthma thing is no joke, and learning the difference it makes when I’m running outside in the colder air can be unbelievably frustrating. I go from feeling good and lasting longer running on the treadmill, to not even making it through a mile outside before I need to walk. My husband reminds me that it’s still early in my training and the most important thing is getting in the miles to keep building up, whether they’re walking miles or running miles. Moving forward indoors (even though I still think the treadmill is miserable), just to feel like I’m going backwards outside can be annoying. But I’m still going, and I know I’m getting a little better every day, even when it doesn’t always feel like it.

At least now I can put in my miles in cute workout clothes too!

OOTD 2.24.2016

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It seems that despite my best efforts to be done with winter clothes, Indiana is not yet done with winter. Womp womp. 

Today was a return to temps in the 30s and snow tonight (remember when it was 72 degrees just four days ago?), but fear not, we’re supposed to be in the 50s by Saturday and 60s by Sunday. This is Indiana, after all. Transitioning weather calls for transitional outfits, and although I posted a version of this one here, part of what I love about it is you can change the outfit up just by changing the scarf. 

Today was a black-and-white plaid blanket scarf from Old Navy last year, but it can just as easily be swapped for a lighter and brighter scarf when the days get warmer. Draping the scarf lengthwise around your neck and belting it gives a bit of a polished, faux vest look, while secretly keeping you warm and cozy at your desk all day. A basic black long-sleeved top  (like I said, I may have a slight obsession with black tops), my favorite Minnie pants from J.Crew, and some black pumps provide a sleek base for the outfit. Topped with my faithful Kendra Scott earrings, monogram necklace, and this pop of bright pink lip color I can’t get enough of, and I was ready for the day. 

Here’s hoping this is the last of the winter things for awhile! 

  

Ready to Run…Sort of…

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The month of May in Indianapolis is a pretty big deal. The city spends the whole month celebrating the 500 Festival, which is capped off at the end of the month with “the greatest spectacle in racing,” the Indianapolis 500. Kicking off the 500 Festival at the beginning of the month is the Mini-Marathon, a half marathon that includes a lap around the 2.5 mile track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To commemorate 100th running of the Indy 500, this year, Mini participants will get a medal featuring a mini version of the Borg-Warner trophy, the trophy the winner of the Indy 500 will receive Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully we’ll be at the Speedway for the Indy 500 at the end of the month, but for the first time ever, I’ll be one of the runners kicking off the celebration in the Mini.

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Am I a runner? Nope. To be totally honest, until last Monday, the last time I’d laced up my running shoes was last March. Over tapas and beers, a friend convinced me I could totally train for a half marathon and it wouldn’t be that hard (Ha…). After a few beers at Bacon Fest and a cocktail at Hotel Tango, my sister and I agreed we’d take on this adventure together. I figured it’d be a great accomplishment for a milestone year, so why not?….Then, my sister sprained her ankle the night before training was supposed to start. Sooo, it’s just me right now, until I can convince someone to take on her spot.

In all reality, I don’t have to run the whole thing to feel like I accomplished something and I was part of a really cool tradition in my city. I’d like to run as much of it as I possibly can, but let’s be real, I’m not above walking when I need to – I just want to kiss the yard of bricks at the Speedway (yes, really, it’s a thing) and not die.

Week 1 of training has been a challenge, to say the least. My body has been pushed and it’s also let me know it’s pretty shocked about the change. Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL 72 degree day, so I hit the Monon Trail for my first outdoor long run. The Monon is this fantastic path that runs through the city, and there were hundreds of people who had the same idea for the gorgeous day as I did, so the people watching certainly helped the mileage go by. The thing about the Monon, is you have to remember you need to turn around at some point, which doubles your mileage. On Saturday, I forgot. So 8.47 miles later, my legs were feeling pretty strongly about my decision. (No, I did not run the whole thing. I ran a total of 3 miles, but not all together…I’ll get there.) Luckily, my sister and her fiancé were waiting at the end of my trail at Big Lug Canteen, a fun new brewery just off the Monon Trail.

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Their Quintana American Wheat Ale was a refreshing treat after my miles, and yes, I drank lots of water afterward too. My sister and I also shared a great salad, but of course we also sniped more than a few fries from Jair too. Today was not so warm and a little more like February in Indiana, and I learned how my asthmatic lungs feel about running in cold air. Spoiler alert: they don’t love it, and I’ll be figuring out a way to take my inhaler with me from now on. Whoops.

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It’s going to be an adventure, but I have 75 days to get myself in gear and ready to cross that finish line. Wish me luck!

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OOTD 2.18.2016: OTK Boots & The Office

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We’ve officially reached the point in February when I am so over winter and winter clothes, I can’t stand it. When the temperatures first dropped in the fall, I was excited to pull out the wools, tweeds, darker colors, and tights. Now? Over it. Soooo over it!

Today wasn’t nearly as warm as tomorrow is supposed to be (62 degrees! A heatwave for Indiana in February!), but I decided to ditch the tights and go for bright colors, despite the temps in the 40s. That’s where my beloved OTK boots came in.

The key to OTK boots at the office ensuring you’re not showing much – if any – skin. OTK boots can pack a whole lot of va-va-voom, which is the opposite of what you want for your standard 9-to-5 office environment. I never wear mine to work without opaque black tights and/or as much coverage as possible to tone them down, usually in the form of a knee-grazing skirt. Since I was boycotting my tights today, coverage was extra important.

My fit and flare dress is a few years old from Old Navy, but a good fit and flare is always a comfy classic. This one also comes to my knees, so only a centimeter or so of skin would show when I was walking, meeting the coverage requirement. Not satisfied with the bright dress alone, I had to add in my Lilly Pulitzer Murfee scarf (a birthday gift from a sweet friend a few years ago), and my hot pink Kendra Scott earrings. I topped it all off with some bright lipstick. For being described as a balm, the color of this bareMinerals “Lip-Oil Balm” sticks around all day.

Bring on spring!

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Be My Valentine

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Valentines - 3 colors

When was the last time you made homemade valentines for your friends and family? If you haven’t done yours yet, it’s not too late! I decided that this year I’d do some DIY instead of agonizing over the options in the card aisle. I made them using one of my favorite crafting techniques: heat embossing!

I was first introduced to heat embossing when my friend Erin did her rehearsal dinner invites a few years ago. When it came time for my wedding, I quickly learned that doing my own gold heat embossing had all of the wow-factor, without the price tag of printing with gold foil. I loved it so much, we used it on our save-the-dates, and then we kept the theme going on our ceremony programs.

Once you buy your initial supplies, heat embossing is super cost-effective. The heating tool is less than $25, the powders are $5 – $6 (and one little container will last and last – we still have PLENTY from the wedding), and then all you need is the rubber stamp of your choice, and an ink pad. I prefer the watermark pad, but you can also match your ink color to your embossing powder.

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For my valentines, I made a quick stop at Paper Source, aka, my happy place. I’m obsessed with Paper Source, and doing all my wedding crafts only made the love grow. This time around, I snagged these fun valentine stickers, heart doillies, a “love” stamp (the little hearts were leftovers from our wedding), and a grabbed a pack of cards.

Heat embossing is so easy, but I do recommend making sure you have extras, because slip-ups happen. Let’s get started.

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I like to use paper plates, because it contains the loose powder and makes it easier to go from one to another. The key to heat embossing is getting the powder on before your stamp ink dries, so it’s good to be able to quickly go from one to the next.

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When you place your stamp, you want to be firm without any wiggles, because your embossing powder will stick to any place there’s wet ink. This is also why I prefer the watermark ink, because if there is a little slip-up, you can brush off the powder and the translucent ink will dry without being as noticeable.

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Dump on your powder, and make sure there’s enough to get a good coating. I use more than enough, because as I mentioned above, I like to be able to move quickly from one to the next without “refills.”

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When you pick up the card, the powder that didn’t stick to any ink will fall off. Be sure to tap/blow off any excess (I also keep cotton swabs around for the tiny spots), because any leftover powder will be heated and adhere to your card. Now, here’s where the magic happens.

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I like to get multiple done in a sort of assembly line, then they can all be heated in one go. Turn on your heating tool, and hold it over the powder. After a few seconds, you’ll see it turn from the loose powder to a shiny, raised print of your stamp. So cool, right? It’s like a magic trick every time.

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I used a glue stick to attach the heart doillies to my cards, then got to work on the insides.

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A simple message and some of the cute stickers inside (how fun are those gold lips?!), and you’re good to go!

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For those of us who can’t write in a straight line or visualize spacing, the Lettermate is a great little find for addressing envelopes. After trying to corral a million different pieces of paper with people’s addresses during the wedding, my husband got me this adorable address book from May Designs with our married monogram for Christmas, and I love it. May Designs are some of my favorites, because you can customize your planners, address books, notebooks, anything, and they’re so reasonably priced.

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It’s not too late to still show some love to your family and friends with a little homemade Valentine’s Day fun!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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OOTD 2.11.2016

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Do you ever have those weeks when it seems like everything is on fire? That was this week. Lots of long and crazy days, and Wednesday was an especially late night of work. Going to sleep on nights I’ve worked late is near impossible for me – it’s like my brain just can’t turn off and still needs hours to wind down again. While it gives me some solo quiet time to catch up on the day’s social media I missed, it’s not so great for waking up the next day at my normal time. On day’s like that, I like to have some easy outfits I don’t have to think about, so I can just throw them on and go.

Black and camel is one of those color combos that never fails to feel classic and polished, with minimal effort required. These wool skimmer pants are actually from last year, but I can always count on J. Crew Factory to keep the classics in stock. There’s no camel left, but it looks like the ones they do have left are marked down to half price (love the crimson or black). Add on a black top – I have so many variations of black tops, my husband thinks I’m crazy when I come home with another one – my favorite Kendra Scott earrings, black heels, red lips, and you’re out the door!

I was exhausted, and it was another crazy, long day, but I felt put together enough that I still looked ready for the invite from one of my girlfriends for a much needed impromptu sushi and beer break after work.

How do you make late nights and long days better?

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